Corbeil

BIOTECHNOLOGY AND THE DIAGNOSIS AND SURVEILLANCE
OF AQUATIC ANIMAL PATHOGENS
Serge Corbeil1, Lynette M Williams1, Ken Mccoll1 and Mark St.J. Crane1
1 CSIRO, Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Livestock Industries, Australia.
Over the past two decades, immunological and molecular reagents have made an
increasing contribution to the development and improvement of diagnostic tests used
for the detection and identification of pathogens of aquatic organisms. These tests are
either based on the use of monoclonal/polyclonal antibodies directed against pathogen
epitopes (e.g. ELISA, immuno-blot, immuno-histochemistry) or based on amplification/
detection of nucleic acid sequence(s) specific to the target pathogens (e.g. polymerase
chain reaction (PCR), real-time PCR, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP),
in situ hybridisation (Luminex).
The laboratory methods that are considered to be international standards for the
detection of aquatic animal diseases are described in the OIE Aquatic Manual.
Various assays have been developed in recent years for the major pathogens of finfish
(e.g. infectious pancreatic necrosis virus, infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus, viral
hemorrhagic septicemia virus, infectious salmon anemia virus, Piscirickettsia salmonis,
Vibrio spp, Aeromonas spp.,etc.), molluscs (Bonamia spp, Martelia spp, Mikrocytos
mackini, Perkinsus spp, ostreid herpesvirus-1, abalone herpes-like virus etc.) and
crustaceans (e.g. white spot syndrome virus, yellow head virus, infectious myonecrosis
virus etc.). Many of these tests have been implemented into routine practice in National
and State Government diagnostic laboratories, in private veterinary and pathology
clinics as well as in research laboratories around the world. Aquatic animal disease
management plans, including health surveillance, export certification, and biosecurity
measures, increasingly rely on the use of sensitive and specific biotechnology-based
diagnostic tests. As a case study, this presentation describes the emerging abalone
herpes-like virus occurring in Australia and the development of diagnostic tests for its
detection, study and management. Solutions and Tools to Improve Aquatic Animal Health
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Keywords: diagnostic tests – aquatic pathogens – OIE Aquatic Manual
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